Chapter 72

Cora

The prophecy had felt like a distant, mythical thing since I had first heard of it. But according to Kingston, I wasn’t the only one who had a vague understanding of its importance and purpose.

Kingston had told me that for so long, it had been something buried in the dusty pages of old werewolf texts as well, whispered about in secrecy. Some had believed in it; others were skeptical.

But it wasn’t distant anymore.

The evidence of it all was there, inside of me, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I couldn’t push it aside and hide within the walls of Kingston’s mansion forever. The time had come to face it and accept it.

I stood in Kingston’s vast library, the ancient tome open before me on the heavy wooden table, the golden moon emblem on the page glowing faintly. My fingers trembled as I read the words aloud again, as if saying them too many times would make them more believable:

“The Moon’s Daughter shall rise with the moon’s divine light in her blood to bring unity in her name. Only beside her true mate shall the veil lift, and the scattered packs of humans, hybrids, and wolves shall stand as one beneath her light and the great Moon.”

My throat tightened reading these words. It was so close to what my own wolf had told me and what Kingston had implied in conversations.

All this time, I thought I was just surviving, running from danger, from politics, from grief. But I wasn’t just running. I was moving closer to something bigger, like a coin circling the drain, skirting the inevitable. It had always been something inevitable.

“Cora?”

Kingston’s voice made me jump. He stepped into the library, concern shadowing his face. “You disappeared, and I got worried. Everything okay?”

“No,” I whispered, then looked up at him. “But I know what I have to do now.”

He crossed the room, stopping beside me, eyes flicking down to the book. “I know that book. Is that…?”

“The prophecy,” I said. “The real one. My wolf led me to this book, told me to read the ancient prophecy to confirm what she already told me. This book is centuries old, Kingston. It’s not the scraps and folktales that were passed around the packs like cautionary stories.”

His brow furrowed. “That book was stowed away because it’s so old. How did you find it?”

“My wolf directed me,” I said with a shrug. Despite myself, I flushed at the implication. “The rest was easy.”

“You broke into my father’s vault?” he asked, sounding more impressed than annoyed.

“I picked the lock,” I said. “It wasn’t that hard.”

Kingston’s lips quirked. “I should’ve known not to even ask. When you set your mind to something, there is no stopping you.”

I stepped back from the table, letting the weight of the truth settle in my chest.

“The prophecy says I’m meant to unify the humans, the hybrids, and the werewolves. All of us together under one umbrella. I don’t even know what that looks like, or how it’s possible, but… My wolf is urging me on.”

I met his eyes and found fierce attention in them. “It’s time,” I said. “It’s selfish to keep hiding. It has to start with me stepping forward. No more running away. No more pretending I’m just a human, or just a mate, or just a mother.”

Kingston was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was low but sure. “You won’t do it alone.”

I turned toward him, heart stammering. “I know.”

He cupped my cheek in his warm palm. “It has been an honor to watch you come to this moment. I’ve felt the shift in your energy since the night we sealed our bond. I’ve watched your wolf wake up. You’re stronger than you’ve ever been, but it’s not just strength, Cora. Its purpose.”

I felt tears well up behind my eyes. “I’m scared.”

“Good,” he said gently. “You should be. This is big. But you’re not alone, remember? The prophecy says your mate must stand at your side. And I will.”

I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist. His warmth, his steadiness, grounded me. “Then we do this together.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me. “What’s the first step?”

I took a deep breath.

“We tell them the truth.”

His brows lifted. “About you being alive?”

I nodded. “And about us being mated. About who I really am. All of it.”

Kingston exhaled slowly, like he’d been bracing for this moment. “You’re sure?”

“If I’m going to lead—if I’m going to unite three entire species—I can’t do it from the shadows. I have to own my truth. Even if people hate me for it. I’ve hidden for too long.”

Kingston reached for my hand and laced his fingers with mine. “Then we go public. Together.”

The announcement was scheduled for the next evening.

Kingston also called an emergency summit of the inner council, key allies, and representatives from several other regions. It would be discreet—at least at first. Controlled. We would tell our truth to these higher-ups on our own terms before the rumors twisted it beyond recognition.

It had been at Kingston’s suggestion, and I had agreed. It was best to start with the higher-ups first. This would perhaps be our biggest hurdle; I was directly confronting my biggest opponents.

Even still, I spent most of the day pacing.

Every step I took made my heart pound harder. I wasn’t just admitting I was alive. I was admitting to faking my death. To being the Moon’s Daughter. To mating with the Alpha King. Any one of those things could stir trouble. But all three together? I was a wildfire waiting to happen.

But when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see the scared woman I used to be. I saw someone who had been through fire and come out burning brighter. I saw my wolf. I saw her in my eyes.

And she was ready.

That night, as Kingston and I stood side by side in the grand hall, I felt the bond between us hum like a live wire. He looked over at me, silent reassurance in his gaze. I nodded.

The room quieted as Kingston raised a hand.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said. “I’ve called this gathering to make several announcements. There’s been speculation. Rumors. Whispers. It’s time for the truth.”

He glanced at me, then stepped aside.

All eyes turned to me.

My heart thudded once, hard.

“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cora,” I began, voice ringing clear. “And as you can see, I am not dead.”

A collective, unsure silence rippled through the room.

“I faked my death to protect my son,” I continued. “There were people—powers—that wanted to use him against me, against Kingston. People in this very room threatened him. I made a choice. One I don’t regret. But I’m done hiding now.”

Murmurs buzzed like hornets in the room.

“I am also mated to Alpha King Kingston,” I said, reaching for his hand. He took it without hesitation. “Our bond is real, and it is sealed.”

“Impossible,” someone breathed.

“It’s the truth,” Kingston insisted. “Her powers even exceed my own.”

People looked at him with stunned expressions. Alphas were prideful. He would never have said such a thing if it weren’t true.

“Why now?” someone barked. “Why come forward?”

I met his gaze. “Because the Moon’s Daughter prophecy is real. Every day it becomes more apparent and I become stronger because…” I lifted my chin. “Because I am her.”

Stunned silence followed. It was so quiet, I could hear the rustling of clothes as a few adjusted their positions.

“The prophecy speaks of a she-wolf who will rise to unite humans, hybrids, and werewolves,” I continued. “Not through domination. Not through war. Through unity. Through shared purpose. Through something none of us have truly trusted in for generations—peace.”

They looked at me like I’d grown another head.

“This can’t be true,” someone muttered.

“I used to think so, too,” I said. “But my wolf has awakened. My strength is growing. I’m not here to seize power; I’m here to rebuild the bridges we’ve burned. I’m here to change the way things have always been.”

I stepped forward, voice firm.

“I don’t need you to believe it tonight. I just need you to see that it’s beginning.”

Kingston stepped beside me again. “And I stand with her. Not as her shield, but as her equal.”

“If she is mated to the Alpha King, then… then it must be true,” May murmured to herself. “No average she-wolf could mate with him.”

The room was silent for several beats. Then a few wolves stood. One by one. Heads bowed in quiet respect. Not all. But enough.

Enough to know the tide was shifting.

Later, after the crowd had dispersed and the hall was quiet again, Kingston pulled me into the crook of his arm.

“You did it,” he whispered.

“No,” I said, breathless. “We did.”

But deep down, I knew this was only the beginning.

The storm hadn’t hit yet.

But I was ready.

We both were.